Can marketing change the world? That’s the question we’re asking in this weekly miniseries. To find out why, read the introduction here.

Today I’m highlighting something near and dear to all our hearts – political ads. If you think it’s bad now, wait about 11 months.

But even though we all outwardly say how much we hate campaign ads, they do serve a purpose. They work. They get people elected to office.

And because political ads work, of course they can change the world.

They can get a new leader elected who might otherwise have flown under the radar. That they end up in office will lead to new ideas becoming law, new initiatives taking hold, etc.

Political ads, whether run by candidates or third-party groups in support of candidates, can highlight issues, spur movements, and motivate voters. Political ads are partially responsible for all the laws we did or did not pass in the last year. And they might someday be responsible for marijuana legalization, an increase in the federal minimum wage, or common sense gun laws.

In that way, marketing can change the world.